Numerous North Korea experts predicted that a Canadian pastor currently sentenced to life in jail will likely be used in a pardon strategy should UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visit North Korea.

North Korea’s Supreme Court on Wednesday handed down a life long hard labor sentence to Korean-Canadian pastor Lim Hyeon-soo. Lim was allegedly accused of plotting to overthrow the state.

A Canadian official Francois Lasalle said on Wednesday that Canada is “dismayed at the unduly harsh sentence”, considering Lim is in his 60s, according to a report from VOA.

Nonetheless, North Korea experts predicted that Lim would likely